HMGT 2402 Wine & Beverage Management Prof. Karen Goodlad Spring 2017 White Wines of France
Quiz Lecture Objectives: Match appellations with the regions where they re located and their principal grapes and wine styles Discuss wine making methods used to make white wine in various regions of France Explain the factors that affect the taste of white wines of France Discuss the laws of French wine regions Tasting Overview
What question do these statements answer? Tradition of quality & beneficial economic impact Long history of exporting wines The French system of appellation laws has been the basis for the appellation laws in other European countries.
Why do we Study French Wines?
Terroir
Appellation Contrôlée Appellation Protégée Controlled Place-Name of Origin High Demand + Constant Supply = Fraud 1935 Institut National des Appellations d Origine des Vins et Eauz-de-Vie (INAO) 2010 EU Laws Protected Naming of Origin
Before the EU Changes After the EU Changes Image Source: Society of Wine Educators
Place Name Region, District, Village, and/or Vineyard Export Label Producer Name Bottle Size % alc. Bottling Information French Wine Labels
Task 1: You are the new assistant sommelier in a French Restaurant, the Director of Food and Beverage asks you to prepare a wine tasting for the service staff (they all have basic and developing wine knowledge). You chose to highlight the region in France because Task 2: Create a two minute training presentation for the service staff Speak as a Wine Professional
North West France 3 rd Largest Growing Region Produce White, Red, Rosé, Sparkling, Sweet & Dry Mostly Stainless Steel Fermentation Cool Climate Fresh, Zesty Wine High in Acidity Soil Types Vary by Region Appellations Divided By Geographic Location Only Grand Cru regulations Loire Valley
Atlantic Region/Western Loire/Nantes Muscadet, Muscadet des Coteaux de la Loire, Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu, Muscadet Sevre et Maine Melon de Bourgogne (ranges in style form light to full and ripe) Middle Loire: Anjou: Quarts de Chaume, Savenniéres Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc (dry, semi sweet and sparkling) Saumur Touraine: Vouvray Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc (dry, semi sweet and sparkling) Upper Loire Pouilly-Fumé: Sauvignon Blanc Sancerre: Sauvignon Blanc Loire: Select Appellations & Grapes
Pouilly-Fumé Smaller Growing Area (1500 acres) Limestone and Clay Fuller Stainless Steel or Neutral Barrel Fermentation Sancerre Larger Growing Area (4000 acres) Varied soil types Lean and acidic Mosty dry wines, some sweet during certain vintages Loire: Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre
Tasting Sancerre
West of Germany and the Rhine River East of Vosges Mountains Soil: Schist & Limestone Regulate Minimum Alcohol Level: 8.5% Only AOC to Label by Varietal Leading Grape Varietals: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc Alsace
Wines are Labeled by Grape Names AOC Alsace Grand Cru Single Variety Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris ~5% of production, 51 vineyard sites AOC Alsace AOC Crémant d'alsace Harvest Dates Determined by Local Wine Board Alsace Classifications
Vendange Tardive: Late Harvest Sélection de Grains Nobles Nobel Grapes : Botrytis Riesling, Muscat, Gewürztraminer & Pinot Gris Edelzwicker Noble Blend : Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Chasselas, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris Crémant d Alsace: Sparkling Wine Alsace: Special Features
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Bordeaux also has a reputation for making quality white wines, particularly in the Left Bank and Entre-Deux-Mers
The famous white wines of Graves are very dry, and are made principally from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon grapes.
The Sauternes and Barsac regions are known for their rich, sweet white wines. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes are the primary varietals.
The principal difference is that the sweet wines are made from grapes that are affected by botrytis cinerea ("noble rot"). This is a fungus that dehydrates and shrivels the grapes.
Among the Largest Wine Growing regions in the World, Mostly Red Wine 57 Appellations Maritime Climate Gentle, mild, temperate, high percentage of rainfall Irrigation is NOT Permitted Porous Soil Dominant White Grape Varietals: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Muscadelle Wine Producers are Free to Blend as They Want, No Consistency from Year to Year Varietals are fermented separately and then blended Bordeaux
Pessac Léogon 20% dry white wine, S.B. Small valleys, gravel Graves 33% dry white wine, Sémillon Marl & Limestone Entre-Deux-Mers dry white wine Limestone, many rivers Sauternes & Barsac Known as the Finest Sweet Wines Botrytis Affected Sémillon & S.B. Gran Cru Classification, 26 vineyards Bordeaux, Sub-appellations
Small Vineyard Parcels Négociants Micro Climates Soil: Limestone Southeast Facing Slopes Chardonnay Grape Dominates AOC Quality Ratings: Regional, Village, Premier Cru, Grand Cru Burgundy
Chablis Soil: Chalk, Clay, Limestone, Fossil shells Climate: Cool, Prone to Frost Vinification: Can be Oak Aged or Stainless Steal Côte Beaune & Côte Beaune-Villages Soil: Limestone, Chalk, Marlstone Climate: cool at tops of hills (haute) Côte Chalonnaise (1990) Soil: Hilly, limestone & clay Table wines rather than imports Maconnais (Chardonnay and Aligote) Soil: marl, plant on east facing slopes Climate: Saone river, warmer tan other Burgundy appellations Appellation of note: Pouilly-Fuisse Burgundy, Appellations
Small amount of White, Mostly Viognier Beaumes-de-Venise Muscat Condrieu and Château Grillet Viognier St. Joseph Roussanne and Marsanne Rhone
Complete study guides of France s regions/appelations Burgundy, Loire, Bordeaux, The Rhone Valley, Alsace Identify regions of France on a map Next Session is Red Wine of France Read text book about France Until We Meet Again